Narrative:

Flight alb-ord had not been catered with flight crew meal. Contacted flight dispatch on arrival to ord at XX45, requested meals be placed on flight ord-dfw. Dispatcher mr. X willingly assisted in our crew meal request. However, he stated this is becoming a recurring problem. I contacted dispatch because this was after normal business hours and I was unable and had insufficient time to contact dfw flight office for assistance in this matter. There needs to be an established procedure to obtain crew meals after normal business hours and during weekends. Furthermore, crew members do not normally have time to contact the flight office or chief pilots during or after normal hours because we are normally dealing with a variety of other issued, ie, flight planning, maintenance matters, WX and fuel planning, tight flight connections, etc. Other departments need to understand that flight crew members do not have the luxury to park their aircraft when its time for breakfast, lunch for dinner. We cannot visit the employee cafeteria for dinner at our convenience when we are hungry like other employees. Most important, when a crewmember is not properly nourished, improper nourishment can result in a degradation in crew performance and becomes a cause factor in a mishap or accident. When this happens, improper nourishment, ie, missing scheduled crew meals creates a safety of flight issue. Recommendation 1) program so crewmembers can request meals via their personal mode, ie, computer entry, this would eliminate the need of assistance from the flight office or dispatch. Crewmembers can cancel hotel reservations via a computer entry. Recommendation 2) at a minimum flight dispatch should be the point of contact after normal business hours for crew meals because dispatch is readily available, manned 24 hours daily and crewmembers can normally contact them on the ground or in flight with little difficulty. However, I feel flight dispatch should be the point of contact 24 hours a day for all flight operation support matters, ie, flight planning, fuel, WX, crew meals, etc. Dispatch is a flight operations support facility. Crew meals should be a flight operations support function, not a chief pilot flight office function. It is not unreasonable for flcs to ask flight dispatch to take 30 seconds of their time to provide this support. I would gladly provide them with this support if the shoe were on the other foot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTRA-COMPANY CREW MEAL PROCS.

Narrative: FLT ALB-ORD HAD NOT BEEN CATERED WITH FLC MEAL. CONTACTED FLT DISPATCH ON ARR TO ORD AT XX45, REQUESTED MEALS BE PLACED ON FLT ORD-DFW. DISPATCHER MR. X WILLINGLY ASSISTED IN OUR CREW MEAL REQUEST. HOWEVER, HE STATED THIS IS BECOMING A RECURRING PROB. I CONTACTED DISPATCH BECAUSE THIS WAS AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HRS AND I WAS UNABLE AND HAD INSUFFICIENT TIME TO CONTACT DFW FLT OFFICE FOR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ESTABLISHED PROC TO OBTAIN CREW MEALS AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HRS AND DURING WEEKENDS. FURTHERMORE, CREW MEMBERS DO NOT NORMALLY HAVE TIME TO CONTACT THE FLT OFFICE OR CHIEF PLTS DURING OR AFTER NORMAL HRS BECAUSE WE ARE NORMALLY DEALING WITH A VARIETY OF OTHER ISSUED, IE, FLT PLANNING, MAINT MATTERS, WX AND FUEL PLANNING, TIGHT FLT CONNECTIONS, ETC. OTHER DEPTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT FLC MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY TO PARK THEIR ACFT WHEN ITS TIME FOR BREAKFAST, LUNCH FOR DINNER. WE CANNOT VISIT THE EMPLOYEE CAFETERIA FOR DINNER AT OUR CONVENIENCE WHEN WE ARE HUNGRY LIKE OTHER EMPLOYEES. MOST IMPORTANT, WHEN A CREWMEMBER IS NOT PROPERLY NOURISHED, IMPROPER NOURISHMENT CAN RESULT IN A DEGRADATION IN CREW PERFORMANCE AND BECOMES A CAUSE FACTOR IN A MISHAP OR ACCIDENT. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IMPROPER NOURISHMENT, IE, MISSING SCHEDULED CREW MEALS CREATES A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE. RECOMMENDATION 1) PROGRAM SO CREWMEMBERS CAN REQUEST MEALS VIA THEIR PERSONAL MODE, IE, COMPUTER ENTRY, THIS WOULD ELIMINATE THE NEED OF ASSISTANCE FROM THE FLT OFFICE OR DISPATCH. CREWMEMBERS CAN CANCEL HOTEL RESERVATIONS VIA A COMPUTER ENTRY. RECOMMENDATION 2) AT A MINIMUM FLT DISPATCH SHOULD BE THE POINT OF CONTACT AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HRS FOR CREW MEALS BECAUSE DISPATCH IS READILY AVAILABLE, MANNED 24 HRS DAILY AND CREWMEMBERS CAN NORMALLY CONTACT THEM ON THE GND OR IN FLT WITH LITTLE DIFFICULTY. HOWEVER, I FEEL FLT DISPATCH SHOULD BE THE POINT OF CONTACT 24 HRS A DAY FOR ALL FLT OP SUPPORT MATTERS, IE, FLT PLANNING, FUEL, WX, CREW MEALS, ETC. DISPATCH IS A FLT OPS SUPPORT FACILITY. CREW MEALS SHOULD BE A FLT OPS SUPPORT FUNCTION, NOT A CHIEF PLT FLT OFFICE FUNCTION. IT IS NOT UNREASONABLE FOR FLCS TO ASK FLT DISPATCH TO TAKE 30 SECONDS OF THEIR TIME TO PROVIDE THIS SUPPORT. I WOULD GLADLY PROVIDE THEM WITH THIS SUPPORT IF THE SHOE WERE ON THE OTHER FOOT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.